If not for Aaron Donald, Fletcher Cox might universally be praised as the best defensive player in the NFL and a walking nightmare for any offensive linemen breathing. Cox is the Eagles spirit animal and the straw that stirs the Super Bowl drink.
Since 2015, Cox has generated the second-most pressures among interior defenders (302) per Pro Football Focus and has finished inside the top three in terms of a pass-rush grade at the position in each season. That dominance is why Cox was deemed the Eagles biggest strength by ESPN.com.
Biggest strength:
Fletcher Cox would likely be considered the NFL’s best defensive player if Aaron Donald weren’t in the league. Still, Cox is the second-best interior defensive lineman in the league and arguably the second-best defensive player in the NFL. Last season saw him finish second in total pressures (101), pressure rate (16.0%) and pass-rush win percentage (20.1) behind Donald but leaps and bounds above the next-best defender.
Even with the focus from opposing offenses, Cox managed to grade out as the Eagles highest graded defender in three out of the past four seasons according to Pro Football Focus.
Among the NFL’s 125 interior defensive linemen with 500 or more pass-rush snaps since the 2015 season, Aaron Donald ranks first in pass-rush grade (95.9), total pressures (375) and pass-rush win percentage (22.1%).
